As I grew older, I began to wade into the works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Carroll, and the Old English poets. Their stories spoke to a depth of my soul that I still can't fully describe. It was like finding myself, as if their words somehow unlocked hidden memories and adventures that my heart knew but my mind did not. Somehow, in reading their stories, I began to believe that I, too, could become a novelist. I practiced my craft for hours every day, and by the age of sixteen, I had already completed two novel-length drafts of fantasy fiction. However, I shudder to even crack those pages now: my writing has improved considerably since then! During those same years of intense writing, I was also looking ahead to the future and what I wanted to study for college. I struggled to choose between my dreams of authorship and my love of learning about the sciences.

After a season of prayer and multiple internships, I chose to attend Cedarville University in Ohio to study environmental science. I still harbored hopes of one day becoming a published author, but life became increasingly busy with intense studies, friendships, a wonderful boyfriend (who is now my husband!), and preparation for a career beyond college. Moreover, I had drifted away from pleasure reading towards the end of high school, and developed some health problems during college that significantly affected my energy levels and ability to think creatively. I graduated and got married in 2018, and started a job as a molecular biologist that year. I was blessed with wonderful bosses and coworkers during the years I worked there, but my health struggles and the responsibilities of a full-time job resulted in putting my writing dreams on hold. 

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That all changed when I met Parker. Parker is a sweet, kind, empathetic, curious, busy, and beautiful little boy. He also happens to be my oldest son! From the moment that he was first placed in my arms, I knew that my life was never going to be the same. And oh, how right I was! He later became the inspiration and motivation I needed to write my very first book, Sir Parker and the Quest for the Dreadful Dragon. This book allows me to share my love of fantasy fiction with him (and now others!) in a way that is engaging, wholesome, and family-friendly.

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Life has taken some unexpected twists and turns since I first penned the words to Sir Parker, and it took nearly two years for me to transfer those words from digital documents to physical pages I could share with others. In that two-year span, our family has experienced profound loss, (almost) finished remodeling our 140-year-old home, and welcomed another beautiful son into our lives. Through it all, we have become stronger as a family, and I have become more resilient as an individual. Publishing a book takes determination, and these past few years have certainly given me that!

I am so thankful to God, my parents, my husband, my children, and the many other friends and family who have poured into my life and my work. I would not be a published writer today without the encouragement, accountability, feedback, and support they each provided. I am beyond excited for this new adventure! Thank you for reading my story and joining in this journey with me!